Probably every other person has had the problem of their sponge cake flattening immediately after taking it out of the oven. There is no doubt that this is quite unpleasant and frustrating, but in no case should you refuse to prepare perhaps the most popular among desserts and sweets - His Majesty sponge cake.
Knowing the reasons why a sponge cake can fail and instead of being fluffy, becomes sloppy and flat, we will prevent such unwanted results.
There can be several reasons a sponge cake can flatten and it's not easy to identify the exact problem in a particular case.
The role is played by the oven in which you're baking, the temperature, the consistency of the mixture and the products themselves, as well as the technology of mixing them.
It is basic and very important that the recipe you pick is tested and accurate in terms of proportions, but also it is important for the sequences to be well described when adding each of the ingredients.
However, what should you do if the recipe is successful and you have prepared it many times, but one day you just get a different result and fail?
The problem here may be the quality of the products or the fact that you have been beating with the mixer for too long after adding the leavening agent with the flour - then its action is reduced and the sponge cake becomes flat.
Sponge cake baking temperature is the next most important - it should not be too high! The ideal temperature at which a sponge cake is baked is from 320°F (160°C) to 360°F (180°C) and never more than that, because the sponge cake will swell quickly and visibly looks ready, but the inside remains raw.
This is the reason why after removing it from the oven almost immediately the sponge cake flattens completely and the inside remains raw.
This effect is also obtained with cake batter, which is too thin, so we mentioned above how important it is to follow a tried and tested recipe with the right proportions of ingredients and especially - liquid/flour.
With practice, every person learns what the consistency of sponge cake should be - neither too thin nor too thick.
Some tricks that can also help us to ensure a successful sponge cake that will not flatten:
- The eggs and sugar should be beaten longer, until they turn white and fluffy, followed the other liquid ingredients and if you add the flour with the leavening agent (always at the end), the beating is short, at a slow speed of a mixer and only as much as it is necessary for the flour to be absorbed and a smooth mixture to be obtained. Therefore, at this stage it is even advisable to set the mixer aside and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon with smooth movements in one direction, until the dry ingredients are absorbed.
My culinary advice, in order for you to be sure that your sponge cake will not flatten is not only to observe the above conditions, but also to beat the eggs and sugar in a water bath at low temperature. The fluffy cream is more stable and dense and hence the mixture itself.
We must mention, that there are recipes for sponge cake with butter, in which the order is different - then, first, beat the butter with the sugar into a cream and add the eggs one by one. But always the dry mixture is added last.
- During baking the oven is not opened for the first 15-20 minutes!
- After baking, it is best to leave the cake for 10 minutes in the switched off oven with the door open.
This will not cause a sharp drop in temperature, which can lead to a sponge cake flattening.
See also the perfect cake batter and how to make a cake glaze.
